[Marxism] The new respectability of Islamophobia and the new anti-semitism in Western Europe

["Ian Pace" <ian@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

How are we to reconcile this conflicting forces in such a way that doesn't play 
into the hands of those who want to exploit the situation? 

Islamophobia is hugely on the increase throughout Western Europe, Muslim 
populations in many countries (as well as non-Muslims of Asian origin) are the 
subject of assaults, discrimination, ostracisation, prejudice, etc., to a new 
degree. You all know this. Islamophobic views have gained a frightening new 
level of respectability amongst liberals, the types who would never want to be 
seen making another type of racist statement but come out with stuff like 'if 
they want to live in our country, they have to accept our values, which are 
different to theirs', or 'they have to show that they are more loyal to the 
country they live in than to their religion' or 'I've got nothing against the 
moderate Muslims, but Islamic Fundamentalism is something we can't ignore, and 
it's only natural to be suspicious when you see a Muslim person' or 'We have to 
take action to stop the minds of young Muslims being polluted by this hardline 
Islamofascist extremists'. All racist stuff which liberals would never dare say 
about other ethnic or religious groups.

But the situation is so murkied by all the talk of the 'new anti-semitism'. 
Much of this is fuelled by right-wing and liberal left-baiters and Zionists, 
not out of any genuine concern for the plight of Jewish people, but simply to 
cynically exploit the situation for political gain. But there is no denying the 
fact that anti-semitic attacks have risen in previous years, most notably in 
France. And also that some of these attacks have been carried out by Muslim 
people. This is what is being exploited, again not from concern for the welfare 
of Jewish people, but as another stick to beat Muslims with. And by making it 
into the primary racial issue in Western Europe, it becomes possible to ignore 
and deflect attention away from Islamophobia, not least by extrapolating from 
the actions of some Muslim youths towards Islamophobic hate towards all such 
people.

What I want to know all of your thoughts about is how it's possible to fight 
this phenomenon without trivialising and neglecting attacks on Jewish people? 
How can we prevent the right and liberals from hijacking this issue to make it 
their own and monopolise public opinion (by making the new anti-semitism *the* 
issue and Islamophobia a non-issue, as has happened to a great extent)? Also, 
how to respond to the appropriation of the 'new anti-semitism' for anti-leftist 
propaganda (portraying leftists of all types as the primary offenders in this 
respect, in an attempt to further discredit and ostracise the far left - these 
people seem relatively unconcerned about the continuation of right-wing 
skinhead and other similar attacks on Jewish people)?

Solidarity,
Ian
________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism